The Hidden Truth
by ThinkingOfaName
Summary: Hermione finds a mystery code hidden within a book, what does the piece of parchment have to tell her about future events? HermioneRon fluffiness
1. Chapter 1

Yep, I don't own any of these wonderful characters; they are the great work of the great JK Rowling. Praise to the great one. On with the story.. (Ooo please read and review, I'm interested in what everyone thinks ~ please?)  
  
"ARRRGH, I-GIVE-UP.!" Hermione screamed as threw her quill and parchment across the common room, this would have soon to be followed by an incredibly large leather bound textbook, if it wasn't for Ron holding her arms above her head as she had book in hand ready to launch it into midair.  
  
"NO-RON-LET-GO, it's all wrong, its just all gone wrong, I can't concentrate anymore, I give up, I really do"  
  
"What are you talking about 'Mione, this isn't like you to throw away such a precious book, oh and look at all the mess in the middle of room, tut tut tut, Hermione I'm disgusted with you" He sarcastically remarked.  
  
"Oh yes very funny Ron, now will you please just let go?"  
  
"Now maybe I don't want to"  
  
"Ron if you don't let go I'll."  
  
"You'll what Hermione? What are you going to do to me if I don't let go?"  
  
"Oh wouldn't you like to know?"  
  
"Well yeah I wouldn't mind" he replied winking at her.  
  
"Well I don't know what's going through your mind, but you won't find out unless you let go of me"  
  
Ron released his hands from around her wrists, and she calmly placed the book back on the desk. She turned around to face the table, rested her head on her arms and let out a huge sigh.  
  
"So seriously now, what was all that about? Since when have you not been able to do a piece of homework?"  
  
"Oh for goodness sake, that wasn't a piece of homework Ron, do you really think I would chuck something that valuable away? Actually come to think of it, why would you even think I would have any trouble with my work?"  
  
"Alright alright miss smarty pants, what was that that you threw so violently onto the ground?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Well why don't you pick it up and have a look" she said mockingly.  
  
"Bloody hell, the sarcasm that pours out your mouth sometimes Hermione, I feel quite offended" he replied as he bent down to pick up the criminal piece of parchment from the floor.  
  
"You know something Ron Weasley you get more and more like your brothers everyday!"  
  
"Oh god, which ones?" he stared at her with utter shock and bewilderment on his face.  
  
"Well mainly Fred and George, you were always sarcastic but you've got worse, I'm sure it's their influence"  
  
"Whoa, thank God you said them, if you had said Percy I would have broken down in tears!"  
  
To Hermione, Ron had changed in many ways, along with his increased irony, he had become different in another way he had become so incredibly good looking although Hermione had thought he looked more than fine before. He had also grown even taller over the last summer holidays that he towered over her now, not that he hadn't already. And with all the quidditch practice he had obviously done, he had developed the most outstanding body. Hermione suddenly blushed at this thought, but it was at this moment that she was brought back to earth with Ron gazing at her and asking if she was alright.  
  
"What's up with you now? You're all red! Embarrassed about something are we?"  
  
"No, don't be stupid, anyway I thought you wanted to read that?" and she pointed to the piece of parchment in his hand.  
  
"Well duh! I'm getting to that aren't I? C'mon woman give a guy a chance, were not all as fast as you at reading ya' know!"  
  
Ron surveyed the written words, it was clear by the look on his face that he didn't have a clue what he was looking at.  
  
"Oh give it here stupid" and Hermione snatched it off him.  
  
"No need to be ruuuude 'Mione, if you wanted it, you should have just asked" he gave her a very ridiculous smile, at which she couldn't help but silently laugh at.  
  
"Come here" and she pulled the chair he had placed himself on closer towards her.  
  
Ron sat staring at her as she looked down at the document, it felt wrong to look at her in this way, but he couldn't help himself. She was so perfect, he couldn't even remember when he had started to feel this way about her, he wanted to hold her, to feel himself close to her, but that would break all the unwritten laws about the closeness of best friends. She was his best 'girl' friend though, it couldn't be that wrong could it?  
  
"Helloo? Ron? Are you going to listen to me?"  
  
"Oh yeah sure, sorry"  
  
"Right all these little symbols are." she pointed down at the sheet of parchment "what I believe to be, some sort of code, this sounds really stupid, but I found it in the spine of a book I was reading the other week, and its just fascinated me since. I just need to find out what it means, but I've searched every bloody book I can find and I've had no luck"  
  
"HERMIONE, you swore, you never swear!"  
  
She blushed "Oops so I did, I think that may have something to do with being around you too long" and she giggled.  
  
Again Ron couldn't help but keep staring at her, he suddenly realised what he was doing and corrected himself.  
  
"Look 'Mione, if your that desperate to work out what that thing means, then I'll help you, well I know I'm not clever and amazing like you but I'll try"  
  
"I'm not clever, nor am I amazing, your so mean with that sarcastic tongue of yours Ronald"  
  
"Who said I was being sarcastic?" he replied. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her wooden seat, she had been in the library now for almost three hours. She perused through a particularly large copy of 'The Secret to Breaking Even the Most Unbreakable Codes' in the hope that she would be enlightened and finally decipher the seemingly impossible message on the ancient and withered parchment. It had been nearly a month now, and this task had taken an immense hold of her, any spare time she had was spent attempting to study and work it out. For some reason she was drawn to this and she just couldn't work out why.  
  
Ron had promised he would help and he had kept to his word, but he had only come with her a few times to the library, realising how impossible it was to crack, he had given up on helping her. She understood, after all he had other commitments which he himself were bound to, and he couldn't spend all his time with her, no matter how much she wished he would.  
  
At that very moment, just as her mind had started to wander she heard footsteps rapidly approaching the table she was placed at.  
  
'Hey 'Mione, how's it going? Solved anything yet? Ron let out a small laugh.  
  
'Oh ok, maybe you were right, this code probably is impossible to crack, but I can't understand why someone would hide this in a book and not expect anyone to wonder what it says' she replied holding up the parchment.  
  
'Perhaps you just weren't destined to find out what it means'  
  
'Oh shut up, you know I don't believe in all that rubbish. Fate and destiny. honestly Ron you've been paying far too much attention in Divination. And that in itself surprises me!'  
  
'Well I'm going to make my back to the common room, care to join me, or are you going to continue to waste away here?'  
  
She gave him a very sharp look, but then proceeded to gather her things together, rolling up the parchment carefully and placing it in the pocket of her robes.  
  
Later that evening in the common room, the discussion made its way once again towards Hermione's progress on her personal project. It began with Harry asking how things were turning out, and the rolling of Ron's eyes who was seemingly bored of the topic. He felt now, that the whole thing meant nothing and Hermione was just wasting her time, time that she could be spending with him oh and Harry of course.  
  
'Well while we were having dinner I realised that the only place I haven't looked is in the restricted section, but obviously I would never get permission to do so, so that's out of the question' she answered looking exceedingly thoughtful.  
  
'In the form of breaking school rules maybe, but it's still possible, you could borrow my cloak if you want to' Harry whispered.  
  
'Don't be ridiculous Harry; I couldn't do that, what if I was caught?'  
  
'Well that's the point, you won't be will you? You will be invisible believe it or not, I did it in first year managed to get away with it didn't I? Well just about.' He sniggered.  
  
'No I couldn't Harry its wrong, I'm meant to be responsible, being a prefect holds duties you know, and I must show good behaviour and that means no breaking of school rules.'  
  
Ron had been extraordinarily quiet throughout the conversation, he had been deep in thought; maybe if he went with her, at least then if they were caught he might be able to help her explain away their presence. Obviously he wanted to go with her for another reason, but he would never voice that thought. She was his friend and he was more than sure that that's all it would ever be.  
  
'Hey Hermione, if you want to go and I know that you do, I'll go with you, and then that way if we get caught, we can just say that we were patrolling the halls or something?' he finally said.  
  
She turned to look at him, obviously going over in her head what he had just uttered. She definitely didn't want to get in trouble, but the thought did appeal to her, maybe she might find the answer if she were to look in there? What about the fact she was a prefect though? She would be letting herself down if she got into trouble for this. And then she thought about Ron's made up excuse, it could possibly work, if she were quick they could be in and out of there in no time.  
  
'Are you sure? I mean I'm not saying this is right, but this whole thing is driving me insane, I need to know what it says. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.'  
  
'Yeh I'm sure, how about twelve tonight? That's should be late enough, only Filch will be around by then, be less people to run from' he chuckled.  
  
At five to twelve, Hermione snuck out of bed, she had had a few hours sleep and had gone to bed fully clothed. She crept silently down the staircase from the girls' dormitories, at the foot of the stairwell she saw Ron standing holding something in his arms, to which she assumed was Harry's invisibility cloak.  
  
'You ready?' he whispered.  
  
She nodded in reply.  
  
They walked towards the portrait hole, climbed through then looked to check the coast was clear, when everything seemed to be satisfactory Ron threw the cloak around them. With Ron's increased growth it was hard to conceal both of them beneath it. However they noiselessly walked on towards the direction of the Library. They had not encountered any problems so far, Ron had tried talking to Hermione a few times, only to be told to 'shhh'. They pressed on, and finally reached the corridor on which the door to the library resided. They reached the giant oak doors and just as Hermione's hand reached out to open the latch they heard the hurrying footsteps of someone running along one of the passages leading off from the one they were placed in. They had a split second to exchange horrified looks, and then darted off back in the direction they had come, making sure to hold onto the cloak, although they were more than positive that body parts could be seen as they were definitely not covering themselves fully.  
  
They turned around a corner, almost flying straight into one of the many statues that were dotted around the castle. They could still hear the quickened pace behind them, undoubtedly it was Filch pursuing them. Ron having realised they were at a distinct disadvantage attempting to run underneath a cloak, threw it off and proceeded to run. He was running much faster than Hermione, who was struggling to keep up with him. They turned a final corner seemingly out of breath; Ron peered around the stone wall, to see if Filch was still following. They appeared to be safe, and after he nodded to Hermione they lay against the wall, gasping for breath.  
  
'I - knew - this - was - a - bad - idea' she panted.  
  
They waited until they were able to breathe perfectly again, and then pulled themselves away from the wall, but as they did so, the painting they didn't realise they had been leaning against fell, as if in slow motion off the wall. Both Ron and Hermione leapt forward to catch it, but they were too late, the canvas fell to the floor, with an incredibly loud thud. They both frantically picked it up ready to hang it back up, but as they picked it up, the picture inside fell from its golden frame, this time hitting the floor with a muffled bang. Hermione bent down to retrieve it, and as she brought herself closer, she saw that there was writing on the reverse. Ron watched her; she just stayed where she was, apparently staring.  
  
'Hermione, what are you doing? Hurry up or we'll be caught!'  
  
She continued to gape at the back of the portrait, as if fixated. Then, she suddenly reached inside the pocket of her robes and pulled out a piece of rolled up parchment. She unrolled it, and then looking from the painting to the parchment over and over again, finally said,  
  
'I think I've found what I've been looking for Ron.' 


	3. Chapter 3

'Um Hermione what are you doing?' Ron exclaimed with horror as he watched Hermione walk away struggling to hold the enormous painting.  
  
'You can't just walk off with that, we should put it back, they will notice it's missing you know! And anyway, don't just walk off, Filch could be around the next corner, we need to cover ourselves again!' he said with a slightly loud whisper.  
  
'Look Ron I just told you, the back of this painting has the key to that code, look, all the symbols match. I have to take it; I need to know what this says.' She said as she waved the parchment in the air.  
  
'Well you know its here now, you could just come back and copy it all out another night, it would be safer than just walking around with a bloody great big picture under your arm, I'm pretty sure that won't fit under the cloak.'  
  
'No, I'm not leaving it here not now, this thing has pretty much taken over my life since I found it, my minds been reeling I've only had room to think about two things for the last month, I'm not about to quit now, I - need - to - know' she said with increased panic.  
  
'Ok ok calm down, you win. I'll help you carry it then'  
  
Ron replaced the empty frame back to its position on the cold stone wall then they began the trek back to Gryffindor Tower, both sharing the weight the one thing that held the solution to Hermione's heavy burden. Ron observed the expression that Hermione was holding she had her nose slightly wrinkled and a look of pure concentration flecked across her face. He couldn't quite work out why this meant so much to her, but he knew Hermione and she definitely wouldn't spend this much time and effort on something if it was completely pointless.  
  
They were walking carefully and as quietly as they possibly could, without the cover of the cloak this was definitely a dangerous operation, but they had been safe so far, so Ron pushed the worry out of his mind. However there certainly wouldn't be any excuse they could make up that would explain what they were doing this time. They weren't to far away from the portrait hole now, and Ron prayed that they wouldn't be seen at this moment, it would be just his luck to be caught just before they were finally safe. They stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady; Hermione whispered the password, which was followed by a loud 'tut' from the fat Lady herself as they entered.  
  
'Don't think she was too happy with us, do you?' Hermione giggled.  
  
It was amazing to hear Hermione laugh, in Ron's mind it was more like music, he liked seeing her happy, partly because usually all they ever did when they were together was argue. He never meant what he said, he hated himself for all the hurtful words he had said to her over the years, but arguing had always been the way they had communicated. However things had changed recently. They had been spending time together with no horrible words being exchanged. Ron smiled at this thought, only to find this expression being interrupted by Hermione,  
  
'Ron? Are you ok? You were miles away then!  
  
'Sorry 'Mione' he muttered.  
  
'What were you thinking about?' she asked curiously.  
  
'Oh nothing important' he replied blushing furiously.  
  
They walked to a nearby table placing the painting down upon it. Hermione sat down pulling the parchment out of her pocket as she did so. She stared once again from parchment to painting, with the same look of triumph on her face as was when she had first realised that she had finally found what she had been seeking. Ron again watched with fascination, he stayed silent for a few more moments then finally spoke.  
  
'Do you want me to help you 'Mione?'  
  
Hermione glanced up and stared deeply into his eyes, at that moment there was a look of understanding exchanged between them.  
  
'Would you mind if I did this on my own?' She asked.  
  
'No, I understand' he said simply, smiling at her.  
  
He turned on his heel, and began to stride towards the staircase to the dormitories, when suddenly he turned around,  
  
'Hey Hermione.' he called to her as he turned back around.  
  
'Earlier you said you only had room to think about two things lately, I was just wondering, erm, what was the other thing you've been thinking about?' he asked shyly, he was secretly hoping for a specific answer.  
  
'Oh, I, erm, oh it's nothing, honestly, not important, honestly' she answered.  
  
'You repeated yourself' he said slightly amused.  
  
She looked at him and he watched the redness fill her cheeks, Hermione hardly ever got embarrassed.  
  
'Bit warm are you 'Mione?'  
  
'Excuse me?' she enquired.  
  
'You've gone all red'  
  
She reached her hands up to her face, clasping them onto her flushed cheeks.  
  
'I've got to get on with this Ron, thank you for helping me' she said abruptly but pleasantly. And one again turned towards the painting and parchment on the table in front of her.  
  
Ron watched her turn away from him; he longed for her, if he could just hold her or just feel her next to him, in a way that didn't resemble friendship. He had so many feelings built up inside him; it hurt to not be able to share them. He turned once more towards the staircase, tearing his gaze away from her. He ascended the stairs and stopped half way up and let out a sigh.  
  
'Goodnight 'Mione' he whispered. 


End file.
